Integrated folding bedrail mount and handle for a patient monitor

ABSTRACT

A monitor having an integral handle and bedrail mount element pivotally connected to an upper surface. The integral handle and bedrail mount element being movable between an open position, for carrying and/or mounting, and a closed position in which the handle and bedrail mount element is unobtrusively folded away into a recess in the upper surface of the monitor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a handle for a patientmonitor. More specifically, the invention relates to a folding handlefor a patient monitor having an integral bedrail mount.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Portable monitors have been developed to move with the patientwithin a hospital setting. Portable monitors, such as the Passport 2®monitor, manufactured by Datascope Corp. (Montvale, N.J.), are used inemergency departments, operating rooms and other departments of ahospital that may transport a patient from the patient's room to anotherarea such as X-Ray or imaging. The portable monitor is needed in thesetransport situations whenever a patient is considered less than stableor above normal risk.

[0005] High risk or unstable patients are generally transported on ahospital bed or gurney. A typical hospital bed has a generallyrectangular tubular metal frame construction with supports for amattress and with a wheeled undercarriage. The mattress frame istypically supported on the wheeled undercarriage by an arrangement ofcollapsible legs so that the bed can be collapsed together for carriagein an ambulance. The bed may be supplied with various additionalmembers, for example side rails. A typical hospital bed is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,435,027, issued on Jul. 25, 1995 to Bourgraf et al.,herein incorporated by reference.

[0006] Transporting a patient generally requires a bed switch. Bedswitching requires the transfer to the destination bed of any medicalmonitoring equipment connected to the first bed. During transportation,medical monitors are typically either mounted on a rolling stand or arehooked onto a side rail via a bracket projecting from a rear surface ofthe monitor. For those monitors with a bracket, see U.S. Pat. No.5,275,170, issued to Lewis on Jan. 4, 1994, the monitor must be liftedoff the existing bed and connected to the transfer bed. The monitor isalso removed from a patient's bed when there is a need to use themonitor for another patient.

[0007] Most hospitals are very hectic and chaotic, especially inemergency situations. The existence of the protruding bracket from therear surface of the portable monitor creates the danger that the bracketwill become entangled with other neighboring equipment or that it mayhit something or someone while the monitor is being moved.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,674, assigned to Datascope Investment Corp.,discloses a unique foldable monitor bedrail which effectively addressthe above described concerns. The bedrail mount disclosed comprises apair of U-shaped brackets pivotally connected on one end to a surface ofa patient monitor and pivotally connected on the opposite end to aconnecting rod. The U-shaped brackets pivot relative to the monitor andconnecting rod between an open position, in which the monitor may bemounted on a bed rail, and a folded position, in which the mountassembly lies compactly against the rear surface of the monitor. Onepotential problem with the above described folding bedrail mount is itscomplexity and cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to produce aninexpensive patient monitor bedrail mount capable of folding flatagainst a surface of a monitor when not in use.

[0010] It is a further object of the invention to incorporate a bedrailmount into a part, such as a handle, that is commonly provided asstandard medical monitor equipment.

[0011] The invention is an integrated folding bedrail mount and handlefor a patient monitor. The handle, comprising two pivoting supportmembers connected by a cross handle member, is pivotally connected to anupper surface of the monitor. The handle pivots between an open positionand a closed position in which at least a portion of the handle foldsinto a recess in the upper surface of the monitor. The two pivotingsupport members of the handle each have an integrated hook whichtogether serve as bedrail mount when the handle is in the open position.

[0012] To the accomplishment of the above and related objects theinvention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawingsare illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of theinvention, limited only by the scope of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like referencenumerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows.

[0014]FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a patient monitor having thefolding bedrail mount of the present invention in an open/unfoldedposition.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the patient monitor havingthe folding bedrail mount in a closed/folded position.

[0016]FIG. 3 is an exploded assembly view of the folding bedrail mountassembly.

[0017]FIG. 4 is rear perspective view of the patient monitor with thebedrail mount mounted to a bedrail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of a patient monitor 10having a handle 12, a rear surface 14, an upper surface 16, and adisplay surface 18. Handle 12 comprises a pair of pivoting supportmembers 20 interconnected by a handle cross member 22. Handle 12 ispivotally connected by a pair of pins 24 to patient monitor 10, as bestseen in the exploded view of FIG. 3. One pin 24 passes through a lumen26 in each pivoting support member 20 and snap into holes or grooves 28.Pins 24 are held in place through a press-fit, or some other commonmethod known in the art for securing a pivot pin.

[0019]FIG. 1 illustrates patient monitor 10 with handle 12 in an openposition. In the open position monitor 10 can be easily mounted on orremoved from a railing 30 on a hospital bed or gurney, see FIG. 4, viahook portions 34 of each support member 20. For clarity, only therailing portion of the hospital bed is shown in FIG. 4. For transportone supports monitor 10 by holding cross member 12. Note that hookportions 34 may have the shape of a traditional hook or any other shapeappropriate for hanging purposes, such as a C, U, or bracket shape. Notefurther that although hook portions 34 are illustrated as integrallyformed with support members 20 it is anticipated to connect a bracketelement to straight or other shaped handle support member via a bolt,adhesive, or other known fastening or bonding means. The bracket elementmay have the shape of a traditional hook or any other shape appropriatefor hanging purposes, such as a C, U, or bracket shape. In which case,recess 32 will have to be adapted to assure an unobtrusive handle in theclosed position.

[0020]FIG. 2 illustrates patient monitor 10 with handle 12 in a closedposition. In the closed position, after having been pivoted about pins24, handle 12 is folded into a recess 32 in upper surface 16 and rearsurface 14 of monitor 10. Recess 32 allows handle 12 to fold awayunobtrusively. Recess 32, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, is formed in bothupper surface 16 and rear surface 14; however, if handle 12 is sizedsmaller a recess in the upper surface may only be necessary.

[0021] Although the invention herein has been described with referenceto particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments. Accordingly,although the foldable mount assembly has been described for use with amonitor it should be noted that use of said assembly is anticipated forthe hanging or mounting of any type of device, including but not limitedto patient monitors.

What is claimed is:
 1. A monitor having a display surface, an opposing rear surface, an upper surface, and a handle, said handle comprising a pair of support members interconnected by a cross member, said support members having an integral hook portion and being pivotally connected on one end to the upper surface of the monitor.
 2. The monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the monitor contains a recess into which the handle may at least partially be folded.
 3. The monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the monitor contains a recess into which the handle may at least partially be folded, one end of each support member is pivotally connected to the monitor in the recess.
 4. The monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support members have the shape of a hook.
 5. A monitor having a display surface, an opposing rear surface, an upper surface, and a handle, said handle comprising a pair of support members interconnected by a cross member, said support members having a bracket element connected to it and said support members being pivotally connected on one end to the upper surface of the monitor.
 6. The monitor as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the monitor contains a recess into which the handle may at least partially be folded.
 7. The monitor as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the monitor contains a recess into which the handle may at least partially be folded, one end of each support member is pivotally connected to the monitor in the recess.
 8. The monitor as claimed in claim 5 wherein the bracket element has the shape of a hook. 